THE Unibet Champion Hurdle Grade 1 over 2m ½f is the feature of day one of The Cheltenham Festival 2025 and for which the 2023 winner Constitution Hill is favourite at Unibet 4/7 on to secure his second Unibet Champion Hurdle success and third Cheltenham Festival victory after his brilliant Supreme romp in 2022 for Unibet Ambassador Nicky Henderson.
Constitution Hill will win the 2025 Unibet Champion Hurdle on the back of his Christmas Hurdle performance, easy Festival Trials success, and his racecourse gallop at Kempton where he looked immense and excellent recent schooling, which just demonstrated what a good place he has been in this season.
His temperament and attitude have never been questioned, as he showed at Nicky Henderson’s recent media morning at Seven Barrows, when, as ever, he took all the attention in his stride.
This is not going to be so easy as it was in 2023, as the presence of Brighterdaysahead, who romped home in the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Hurdle at Leopardstown in December when winning by 30 lengths with State Man in third, is going to be make this some test with a fastly run race assured, and there is no doubt that the mare with her seven-pound allowance is a major threat. However, when Constitution Hill steps up the gears, he will move clear.
It is important to note that Unibet are Non-Runner No Bet (NRNB) on all 28 races at The Cheltenham Festival 2025.
Enjoy whether at the home of jump racing or watching #athome on ITV Racing and Racing TV.
See you at Cheltenham.
Cheers
The Wine Tipster
1.20 – Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle Grade 1 (2m ½f)
Kopek Des Bordes was a selection in my Five Irish Horses Unibet blog and as noted, it would be fair to say that before the Brave Inca at the Dublin Racing Festival, the novice division was looking quite open, and perhaps lacking a star performer, but Kopek Des Bordes lifted himself well above the others with a devastating display in a Grade 1, cruising clear on the bridle from the home turn and leaving the rest looking like second-raters (which they weren’t) in imperious fashion.
This is a racing replay you need to rewatch, as you will see it’s hard to find fault with him and though he hasn’t run on good to soft he can still get favourite backers off to a good start.
2.40 – Ultima Handicap Chase (3m 1f)
Myretown is number 23 out of a maximum field of 24 and off a mark of 127 carrying 10st 3lb this eight-year-old can’t be overlooked.
He won at Wetherby on good to soft in December and then was leading all the way at Windsor on their tight track in a hot race until taking a fall three out. Fortunately, he could show next time out at Kelso last month that he had retained all his confidence with a bold jumping display to win easily.
He is an imposing individual who can run a big race on his fifth career start over fences.
Happygolucky was featured in my Five Handicappers for the Cheltenham Festival blog when advised at 33/1 and I have no reason to have a change of view here in what is a typically open looking Ultima. Remember he was the favourite in the 2021 Ultima when runner-up to Vintage Clouds, who showed that eleven-year-olds can when this handicap and Happygolucky is now eleven too.
He will be having only his fourteenth career start, as he’s only seen a racecourse five times since then, with injury keeping him off for the best part of two years after fading from two out when ninth in the 2023 Ultima.
Happygolucky then reappeared this year at Cheltenham in January on Festival Trials Day over a trip too short for him, though he looked as if retaining much of his old ability and certainly his enthusiasm, when sticking to the task to finish a respectable fifth after being tapped for pace.
He will come on plenty for that run, has won over this trip at Cheltenham on good to soft going and his mark of 140 looks favourable.
Unibet are SUPER BOOSTING the price of EVERY runner in this race!
3.20 – Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle Grade 1 (2m 4f)
Take No Chances each way is my selection, as Lossiemouth not surprisingly comes here rather than the Unibet Champion Hurdle.
Take No Chances has been a model of consistency all season and fully deserved her win in the Grade 2 Warfield Mares’ Hurdle at Ascot in January last time out, battling well to hold off Kargese on the run-in by three-quarters of a length.
Her third to Wodhooh on the New course here in December is a good bit of form too, giving lumps of weight away to the winner and second, and showed she’ll have no fears coming up the Cheltenham hill.
Unibet are SUPER BOOSTING the price of EVERY runner in this race!
4.40 – Hallgarten And Novum Wines Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Registered as the Fred Winter) (2m ½f)
Beyond Your Dreams won easily at Fairyhouse on her last start back in December with her penultimate start at Navan in November the race in which she was put in my tracker when a closing second to Total Look (reopposes) after being short of room heading to the last with Wendrock (reopposes) back in third.
This has clearly been the target and the mark of 123 with a weight of 10st 13lb looks favourable and gives her a strong chance.
Unibet are paying an EXTRA PLACE in this race!
5.20 – Princess Royal National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase (3m 6f)
Transmission (nap) was originally marked up in my Unibet Ante Post piece for the Ultima, though I did point out later that if ran in this race or the Kim Muir he would have a good chance.
He has been a revelation since being campaigned over fences this season with form figures of 212 and all his runs have been at Cheltenham. The key race to rewatch is his appearance at the December meeting (marked up in my Unibet blog) over 3m 1f when held up at the back, looking outpaced initially and unlikely to be placed. He then made steady progress from five out, staying on strongly up the hill, to finish second to Haiti Couleurs (reopposes) running on well, which looked an unlikely scenario and demonstrated how this trip could really suit.
Transmission then reverted to hurdles on Festival Trials Day in the Cleeve Hurdle and was always out the back without making a challenge, though this was still a good prep run for March and followed a path liked by his trainer when The Druids Nephew took this route ahead of talking the Ultima in 2015.
Transmission has impressed throughout this season at Cheltenham, and tactically, this looks an ideal opportunity for him to come from off the pace to take the National Hunt Challenge Cup.
Unibet are paying an EXTRA PLACE in this race!
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